Breezy Grazer ®

Description

Premium Horse Muzzle – Grazing Control for Optimal Health

Breezy Grazer

The Breezy Grazer is a muzzle that we developed for our own horses, to restrict grazing whilst minimising risk of rubs and allowing maximum air to the nostrils. Available on Pony, Cob, Full and X Full, we can also custom make for any size horse.

If you have an unusual sized horse, we suggest you measure from the front of the field safe head collar over the nostrils and mouth, to the rear of the headcollar that you propose to use, that would give us an idea as to which size would suit best. The grazer is wide by design, so it is the length of the horses’ heads that will best decide sizes on an in-between horse. The hole for eating through can also be custom made bigger or smaller – our standard hole is 30mm wide, elongated to approx. 36mm.

Q and A

1. Is this just a take-off of another muzzle? No, this muzzle was developed for our own horses as other muzzles didn’t fully meet our needs. It needed to be fundamentally different. This muzzle is a rigid type of plastic, and is very springy so the fingers are held away from the face. It is also very strong, although nothing is ever completely horse proof. The springy but rigid make-up stabilises the muzzle and jeeps the fingers open over the nostrils for easy breathing. We have also included additional air holes, as the material is strong enough to support that.

2. Will the horse just eat out of the sides? Our horses have not been able to eat out of the sides as we fit them high up, just touching the lips, to a closely fitting field safe head collar. Because the fingers are springy and rigid, the muzzles stand off the face equally and horses have not able to manipulate the muzzle to eat out of the sides. The rigidity of the plastic stabilises the muzzle. We have also redesigned the original style to make the side gaps slightly slimmer so, if a determined horse does eat from the sides, the amount they get is actually smaller than the centre hole so the muzzle is still effective.

3. Is the muzzle safe? Nothing is as safe as a naked horse in the field, with nothing to catch on. However, sometimes horses need to wear stuff, such as shoes, rugs or a muzzle for their long term benefit. Any equipment has a risk of being caught, so it is important to have mitigation, such as a cable tie that has a low breaking strain (generally they are rated at 8kg), and a field safe head collar that will give and come off before the horse suffers an injury. It is also important to supervise the horse initially to ensure the muzzle is working as you intend with your own horse. Our design is a smooth plastic to minimise rubs, however eating against a hard surface will always be more abrasive then soft grass. Again, regular supervision on the wearing area of the teeth is advised.

4. Will my horse remove the muzzle? One of the testers has a horse who is usually a Houdini, and he has not been able to remove the muzzle. In fact, he has not been as keen to remove it, and I think this is because he finds it less bothersome as he is able to breathe easily through it and it does not irritate the sides of his face. However, some horses are more determined than others and it is important to supervise the horse until you are assured that the muzzle will be kept in place.

5. How much does the muzzle restrict the grass intake? Each horse is different, and some are more skilled in eating through a muzzle than others. The standard hole is 30mm wide, elongated to approx. 36mm long, which is a balance between ease/comfort and being able to eat. They can be custom made at no extra cost though, with a smaller hole or even a larger one (which may be useful for horses shy of eating with a muzzle as a training aid). You can monitor intake by examining the quantity/colour of droppings and also the weight of the horse. The muzzle should be introduced slowly until you are sure you have the right hole size for the amount of grass your horse needs.

6. Will the muzzle rub my horse? The muzzles are highly unlikely to rub at the sides when correctly fitted and used with a closely fitting field safe head collar, as the plastic is springy and holds the fingers away from the face. The bottom of the muzzle is in contact with the lips but is smooth on the inside and has not rubbed testers’ horses to date. Of course, we always advise introducing slowly, especially if your horse is particularly sensitive, and monitoring daily that the horse remains comfortable. It is important to fit the zip ties with the clasp on the outside of the muzzle. We have found the best way to ensure the zip ties do not move round is to put them out through one hole and back through another, as the holes in the muzzle arms are designed to be small enough for the clasp not to be able to slip through.

7. What colour does the muzzle come in? Currently, the muzzle is made in black and cream. Many owners prefer to have a contrasting colour muzzle on their horse so it can be spotted from the far side of the field.

P&P included in the price